7/20/08

The Truth Heals

You know that old saying, "the truth hurts?" Well, I think it heals. You know, the truth will set you free and all that...
I love the idea behind this challenge from Mama Manifesto for that reason. The challenge? GET REAL! If every mom felt free to do so, I think we'd all be a bit more comfortable in our own skin. Not as a justification for the times that we don't measure up to what we'd like to be doing, but as a recognition that we are only human and can't be perfect. We all have some things we need work on and we always will. Some are the same and some are different. But admitting them can be the very thing that makes another mom realize she doesn't have to kill herself to try to be something that another mom is not.

(If you'd like to play along, leave a comment with a link to your blog with a similar post. That would rock the party.)

Here it goes!
I let Miles watch more PBS than I like to admit. Curious George, Clifford, Sesame Street, Dragon Tales, Calliou, Zaboomafoo...Have I missed anything? I like to think we limit television more than we actually do.

Church? What church? It's summer!

I do what I can to feed the boys organic, fresh and healthy foods, but they have nasty-yellow-number-5-sugar-filled fruit snacks all too often.

I rarely exercise.

I have a hard time escaping my own head space to be truly present with my kids.

I'm much too hard on my husband. He does SO much and yet I still want more, I still pout and play the martyr. I hate it and haven't figured out how to stop.

I keep forgetting to brush Asher's new teeth.

If I let myself get too unorganized and into my ADD, I forget to pay bills, lose my keys, my car becomes a dump and I can't finish a sentence. It happens often.

I still have those occasional moments of intense fear that my children will have something horrible happen to them, right in front of me. Then they'll be gone and I'll be left with guilt.

I don't think I'm all that good of an example of my faith on a daily basis. I get all anxious and cranky instead of at peace and full of joy like I want to be.

My boys don't get a bath every day. Neither do I.

I compare myself WAY too much to other people and worry that I won't ever measure up.

I'm so terribly afraid of bees that I make a fool of myself often by suddenly sprinting away, no matter who I'm talking to.

I rarely wash my face at night. Even on the rare occasion that I wear make-up. I'd just rather go to bed.

I spend so much time trying to take a break from the kids to be on the computer, it's ridiculous.

By the time it's time for dinner, I feel really lazy about cooking and pretty much half-ass the whole thing.

Sometimes I say things like "half-ass," but don't tell my mom.

I worry too much about what my mom thinks of me.

During a true confrontation, I completely shut-down. Mute. Blank. Gone.

I am still avoiding potty training and Miles is 3 years old and (and one month!)

Okay, that's enough. You get the idea. I'm no Mother of the Year. But you know what I realized? We could all make lists like this a mile long and we'd still be okay. Read this post and you'll see what I mean. I'm too tired to explain. See? Totally lazy!

7 clicked right here to comment:

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

Oh hun, I could've written this, down to the potty training even (Emma? Didn't get fully trained till age four).

Love this concept and I'm so doing this on my own blog. You know, eventually. First on my list? My crazy procrastinatory skills.

Sabrina said...

well you can join me and K's club of not washing our faces at night...
After reading your post i feel like the bigger slacker... I do a lot of those things, and I dont even have kids. Great, what kind of mom am i going to be??? Yipes Stripes!!!
Speaking of stripes, did Stryper play at sonshine, with their yellow and black stripe spandex leotard suits?????

Heather of the EO said...

Stryper? I don't remember them...
HA!
Who could forget?
Kinda scary actually....
I'm so old, I don't know who most of the bands are now. Except Newsboys, but they're older than I am.

Kristen Howerton said...

Okay, seriously, I think we may be the same person. I am right there with you on EVERY ITEM except for the bees. I am strangely indifferent to bees.

Oh, sweet Styper. Gotta love 80's Christian rock.

charrette said...

I could ditto almost every item on your list!
And I think it sounds like you're a great mom!

As for the posts you asked about (thanks, by the way, for stopping by my blog, and remembering those posts I mentioned) they're in my archives, so you'll have to dig a bit, but the post titles are (in this order):
Mother of All Weeks, One-and-a-Half Perfect Moments, and Think Yellow Oxygen Masks. I'd love to hear what you think!

Crock said...

yeah, well, I think you suck!

Bwwwahahahahahaha!!!!
Love, Crock

P.S. what do you suppose MY kidlets are doing right now while I play on the 'puter? Hhmmm???
One guess - and it ain't Algebra!

;)~

Anonymous said...

Honestly I believe in you. Do you trust in me? Patiently I will stand by you. I will stand beside you faithfully. I sang that song at Homecoming...maybe 1990? Ha..Ha..Ha! As for your list...I think you should list what you are really great at....that list would be really long!

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